Stella Nella Notte
by TheRightAtrium
Summary: After a dreadful encounter with Bison, Rose is rescued by Guy. Again. It can't just be a coincidence, right? GuyXRose
1. The Star

_Disclaimer: I do not own Street Fighter or any of the characters in this oh so sappy fanfic. Any resemble to real life is merely coincidental and totally awesome._

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**Chapter 1 - The Star**

The last thing she felt was a sharp, exploding pain on the side of her head. She reeled back, her vision clouding as a small line of warm blood trickled down her neck. A dull pain beat against her skull as she collapsed on the cold, hard floor. As she began to feel herself slip into unconciousness, a single thought resonated in her mind. _'I have failed...'_

* * *

_"She can't be too far."_ He thought, sprinting as fast as he could through the dense forest, completely unaware of the occasional thin branch scratching his skin.

He swiftly jumped up a tree to look out onto a clearing. He tightened his fists with anger as she saw Bison carrying an unconcious Rose into a jet. He sprang from the treetop and landed soundlessly on the jet.

"Bison!" He shouted angrily, "I won't allow you to do any more damage! Put the girl down!".

Bison looked around, his expression turning sour. Guy took a step forward, his permanent scowl looking more menacing than ever, "Put her down and I'll let you walk away!" he growled.

"What was that?" Said Bison flatly, the dreadful feeling that his plans were about to be thwarted evident in his tone.

"Don't you dare try anything." He said, revealing himself. "Or I'll use my ninja blades to make short work of you and your vehicle." With a swipe of his hand, he brought up three kunai, their razor sharp points glinting in the moonlight.

Bison looked up at the ninja, his face curled up in a snarl. "What insolence." He muttered. The jet was his only form of escape and he didn't have the time or energy to fight.

Without even the slightest regard, he tossed Rose aside and made his way into the jet. Guy flipped of the jet and caught her limp body before it hit the floor, giving Bison a hateful glare as he took off.

He looked down at the girl in his arms, his expression softening as he looked over her peaceful face. But the calm was shattered when, much to his horror, he pulled his hand away from the side of her head and saw it was slick with blood.

A streak of panic flashed through him as he noticed her breathing was ragged and delayed, and that she was disturbingly still. With a sinking heart, he came to a shocking realization. Rose was dying.

* * *

Rose opened her eyes slowly, and saw a vast, swirling void before her._ "Where am I?"_ She thought, her thoughts echoing out loud as if she were speaking.

_"Oh, I remember now. Bison, he..."_ she mused, bits and pieces of memories flashing in her mind. As she floated in the empty void, she was suddenly aware of how wonderfully weightless she felt.

_"I can't feel a thing... It this... what it is to be dead?"_ She thought, feeling strangely calm about it. In fact, she had never felt more calm in her life. She closed her eyes slowly and thought to herself,_ "Perhaps a little nap wouldn't be so bad..."_

**_"Wake up!"_**

A voice rang clear and strong in the empty space. _"Don't you dare give in to the specter of death! I won't let you die here."_

She looked up at the source of the sound and saw a silhouette in the distance. With every word the silhouette spoke, she found new resolve to fight the haze of sleepiness that crept over her.

A beam of light burst through the haze and shone on her pale face. _"Not yet."_ She thought, reaching out towards the light._"There is still work left for me to do."_

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_Woop! First chapter! Just a little bit of info for you! The Star card symbolizes finding something or someone who offers guidance and orientation for those who feel lost. Its a beacon of hope in the darkness. The Star especially signifies spiritual renewal, harmony, hope for the future, and potential and possibilities._

_Remember to fave and follow! Atrium, signing off._


	2. The Hanged Man

_Hello there! Atrium here. Thanks to the ones who have given the first chapter a read. I'm fairly new to Fanfiction, so please give me feedback! I'll listen to all critique and advice. Curtains aaaaand... action!_

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**Chapter 2 - Hanged Man**

"The world needs you Rose." Guy pleaded, giving her a small shake.

He grit his teeth and tried to ignore the panic that made his heart beat so fast he could hear it. "Its vulnerable without your protection."

Her face was steadily growing colder under his hand. And then, for one terrifying moment, she stood still. The slow rise and fall of her chest stopped and her head rolled limply against his chest.

**"ROSE!"** He cried out loudly, all composure gone. His eyes widened with fear. _"Wake up! You can't be... you just can't..."_

* * *

There was a rush, almost like going through a tunnel at high speed, the void blurring and then disappearing altogether.

She felt a sharpness in her mind that made her grimace slightly. She tried to reorient herself as she opened her eyes slowly. _"Ugh... its dark... must be night time... and... leaves. I hear leaves... I must be outside..."_

Her blurry vision began to clear up, and she could see some kind of shadowy figure outlined with silvery moonlight. _"Is that... yes... its a person... with warm hands... its..."_ She went wide eyed with surprise. _"G-GUY?!"_

Guy's shoulders dropped and he let out a breath that he didn't know he was holding. He looked down at Rose and felt a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. She looked so surprised, she might as well have been looking at a ghost.

Rose blinked a few times and looked up at the stern face. "G-Guy... what... where are we?" she stammered, her mind trying to process a million things at once. Guy's expression became solemn. The relief he had felt a while ago had been replaced with concern once more. "You've been badly injured Rose. What can you remember?"

Rose looked off into the distance, placing a shaky hand on her forehead as she thought hard on what had happened._ "What was I doing before... how could I have ended up in this pl-"_ She opened her eyes wide as the memories hit her like a slap in the face. Her mission. The Second World Warrior tournament. Fight after fight. Seth. Bison. An explosion of pain. A cold floor. _"I have failed."_ It all flashed through her mind violently, the sounds and images flooding in relentlessly.

"My mission..." She whispered shakily. Guy lowered his brow, looking at her intently. "Rose?"

"Bison! He's still alive!" She shouted, her face bewildered. She pushed off the floor and stumbled to her feet. "No, no... I was supposed to kill him! He's too dangerous to be left alive! He's... h-he..."

Rose swayed and brought a hand up to her temple. Raw pain began to pulse through her head. Guy sprung forward and caught her just in time.

She brought her hand up to her face and saw that it was caked with blood. She gave a small gasp and felt her knees give out.

Guy picked her up in his arms with ease, his hands holding her firmly against him. "You're in no condition to fight. You need to rest." He said, sounding cold and methodical. She looked up at him weakly, his face expressionless as he began to sprint into the forest.

"Wh... where are we..." she began to say, but her mind became foggy in a matter of seconds. Guy said nothing as he jumped from tree to tree effortlessly. She turned her face away from the rushing wind and felt herself begin to slip into a surprisingly comfortable sleep.

* * *

Guy looked down at the girl in his arms and felt a smile creep on his face.. She was sleeping, her forehead resting against his chest gently. Her eyes, which had been so bewildered a moment ago, were now closed gently. A clear image of her eyes formed in his head. They were a bright shade of emerald green, but he swore that he saw them turn blue sometimes... maybe they were hazel?

Without warning, his heart gave an unexpected and rather loud thud that stopped his train of though._ "What the...?"_ He thought, confusion showing in his face. He shook his head and focused once more on the path ahead, deciding to ignore it for now. At the speed they were going, they'd get there within a few hours. "Just hang on a little longer..." he said to nobody in particular. "Just a little more."

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_There you have it. Chapter 2! Also, just a tidbit of info here. The Hanged Man card symbolizes a change of perspective, new points of view and spiritual revelations. It may also signify a sense of being caught in between two opposites and a time of suspension, when you don't really feel you have your two feet on the ground._


	3. The Tower

_Hello hello! Atrium here! Thank you for reading my story you guys, I'll try write these chapters faster! Curtains aaaaand... action!_

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Guy slowed down as the village came into sight. He landed on the soft earth with a gentle thud.

There had been times during the night when Rose had twitched or sighed, but other than that she had slept peacefully during the entire trip.

He lept over the tall fence made of massive logs with ease, landing silently on a roof. Nobody noticed him as he sped towards the far ends of the village.

He landed soundlessly at the doorstep of his home. _"Its been a while..."_ he mused to himself as he walked inside and gently shut the door behind him.

Rose muttered something softly in her sleep and shifted. He set her down on his bed, tilting her head so that her wound was facing up. He gently removed the bandage he had tied around the wound, lifting her head a bit, trying not to wake her up.

The cut was just above her ear. He brushed her hair away from the wound and inspected it. It was about an inch or two long, and had begun to form a scab. He grabbed a box of medical supplies from his closet. Years of training had made him a decent nurse, what with all the cuts and bruises that came with it.

_"I told you not to do it..."_ He mused as he cleaned the cut. _"But you just had to go and be a hero. Why?"_

He placed a square of gauze neatly on her wound and began to wind a bandage around her head, taking care to not get her hair caught.

_"You knew it was a suicide mission... why would you throw your life away like that?"_

Cutting off the excess bandage, he placed a clasp on the end and neatly finished dressing her wound. He gently placed a pillow under her head, a thousand questions about the mysterious gypsy swarming in his mind. But they'd have to wait. He brushed her hair out of her eyes and left, closing the door as quietly as possible.

* * *

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to concentrate on his meditation but finding it surprisingly hard to do.

Try as he might to clear his mind, thoughts uncontrollably popped into his head. And strangely they were all about...

"Hey, so who was that girl you brought here yesterday?"

Guy jumped a little at the sound of the unexpected voice. He got up and looked at the visitor with his trademark scowl.

"Its very rude to barge into somebody's home that way, Ibuki."

She rolled her eyes and gave him a mocking frown. "We're ninjas. Its what we do for a living, dummy."

He grit his teeth a little and stared her down. "How did you know about Rose?" He growled.

Ibuki's eyes opened with excitement. "Oh, its HER?! That gypsy lady with the weird glowing things?" She started to look around the room. "Is she here? Is she dead? Did they hire you to assassinate her? What did you do with the body? Oh man, I sure hope you didn-"

A hand clasped over Ibuki's mouth before she could finish. "Be quiet! Ibuki, this is VERY serious. You can't let ANYBODY in the village know that she's here. Promise me that you won't let it slip."

She gave a little nod and he let her go. "Good. Now get out." He went back to the center of the room and sat down, closing his eyes and trying to clear his mind.

He sat there for a few minutes, breathing slowly, until he finally hung his head and sighed. "What do you want, Ibuki?"

She dropped down from the ceiling and landed on her knees, her hands clasped together in front of her face. "PLEEEEEASE tell me what happened!"

He looked at her for a few second and then put his hand over his face. "I'm not going to get rid of you if I don't tell you, am I?"

"Nope." She smiled. Guy resisted the urge to pick her up by the scruff of her shirt and fling her out the window. Still, he felt it might help calm his mind if somebody else knew. He sat up and thought back to the last few days.

"After assuring that Seth was defeated" He began, "I noticed that Bison hadn't been seen or head from for a while. I found him in the outskirts of the Aokigahara forest. He had injured Rose badly and was about to take her to some unknown place. I managed to save her, but I had to let Bison get away. She's recovering at the moment. I need to know what information she has on Bison so he can be eliminated as soon as possible." Guy looked up at Ibuki, who was looking more alert than ever.

"Ooooh. So That's why you have her here." She nodded, stroking her chin thoughtfully. "Still, I have a little question." She said, giving him a sideways glance.

He got up and walked towards his room, wondering how Rose was doing. "And what would that be?"

"How did you know where to find Bison?"

He stopped and turned his head to the side. How HAD he known? Now that he thought of it, he'd traveled directly to the forest without even knowing if Bison would be there.

"I..." He said, his voice trailing off a bit. "I don't know. I had a hunch, I guess."

Ibuki tilted her head and gave a little smile. "A hunch, huh?" She got up and skipped over to Guy, giving him a pat on the back. "Well, I'm bored now. I'll be off! I'm sure you have a lot of things to take care of. Training, boring ninja stuff, your extensive sneaker collection..."

He turned around to give her a rap on the head but she had jumped out the window, her giggling as she bounded onto a tree branch and disappeared into the dense forest that hid the village.

He shook his head and turned back to the door. Just as he was sure she was gone, a kunai with a note attached to it lodged into the doorframe.

He looked out the window ruefully and opened the note. It read:

_Heya! Hope Rose gets better soon! Your secret's safe with me!_

_Don't do anything I wouldn't do! ;D_

_-Love, Ibuki._

Guy felt his face heat up as he balled up the note and threw it in the trash. He'd have to remember to smack Ibuki upside the head next time he saw her.

_"Why would she ever think that we'd do something like that? I mean, we're... she's not..."_ he thought, realizing that he was having a hard time opening the door.

He stopped himself, took a deep breath, and knocked gently. "Rose?" He said, "May I come in?" There was no answer. _"Ah... still asleep..."_

He opened the door quietly and knelt by Rose's side, inspecting her wounds and changing any bandages that had to be changed. She seemed to have moved in her sleep because her hair was mussed up over her eyes. He felt the tug of a smile as he reached out to brush a lock of hair out of her face.

He stopped himself an inch from her face and slowly retracted his hand. _"What are you doing?"_ He chided himself, gazing at the floor. He pulled his arm back and got up, setting his face back into its regular stern self.

As he left, a rustle of sheets and a little sigh made him turn around a little faster than he would have liked. "Mmmhn... what... what happe..."

Rose rubbed her eyes and stretched, looking at her surroundings with a sleepy yet bewildered expression.

"Wha... G-Guy?"

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_And there you have it! And it only took forever. D: This chapter is named The Tower because in Tarot, the card indicates sudden changes, flashes of insight and a release of tension. Wonder what that means!_

_Until next time, guys! (Which won't be too long! I promise!)_

_-Atrium_


	4. Temperance

_Hello readers! Atrium here! I apologize for the delay. Again. Sigh... college. What kind of English class asks you for an essay every week? Anyway, I read some comments about Guy's fiance in the feedback. Well... hold on to your seats ladies and gents. I've got a little something up my sleeve. Curtains aaaaand... action!_

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The scent of sandalwood and cloves greeted her as she yawned and cuddled up against the soft silk of the pillow.

She stretched luxuriously and breathed in more of the crisp, fragrant air. Her joints creaked and popped after being still for so long.

It was such a drastic change from how she'd felt when she was last conscious. She could hardly remember the pain and the freezing cold. She smiled and hugged the thick blanket that had been draped over her. _"This is just wonderful..." _She though.

She was so blissfully warm and comfortable that she didn't notice Guy sitting at her bedside, resting his head on his hand.

She suddenly realized where she was and felt terribly embarrassed. "Wha.. G-GUY! Um... Good Mornin- no... uh..." She stammered as she bolted upright and attempted to smooth down her hair, which was magnificently tangled.

Guy looked down and covered his mouth, trying hard to suppress the smile that pulled at his lips. He cleared his throat and looked up at a very bewildered looking Rose.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, watching as her cheeks flushed gently. Rose's face turned solemn as she looked down at her arms. There were covered by various bandages and a few yellowing bruises. "I'm... I'm feeling better." She said as she made a fist and released it, realizing the soreness in her muscles was gone.

Guy nodded and looked down at his lap, racking his brain for something to say. He cleared his throat and opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off.

"Thank you." said Rose, giving a small nod. Everything would have been fine, had she not looked up at him like she did.

His heart stopped for an instant as his gaze locked with hers. Her eyes were crystalline, a vibrant shade of sea green so bright that they seemed to dull the colors of the world around him. The ribbons of sunlight that streamed in from the window hit her face just right, their soft orange light making her skin glow.

Rose gulped and shifted her gaze to the floor, shifting about nervously. "U-um... for taking c-care of me..."

Guy felt his face get uncomfortably warm as he realized that he'd been staring at her. "I... of course. N-no problem." He stammered, staring holes into the wall as he mentally kicked himself.

She gave a little half smile and began to shift her way to her feet. "I won't forget your kindness. I wish I could find some way to repay you." A confused look struck Guy's face as she limped past him. "Wait... you're leaving?" He asked, the despondency in his voice a little more obvious than he would have liked.

She stopped, her back turned to him. She was silent for an unconfortable second as she wrapped her scarf around her shoulders tighter. "He's still out there..." She whispered, lowering her head a bit.

Memories of the atrocities Bison had committed flashed in his mind. _'She's right...' _He thought, clenching his fist a bit. He watched her stand, tilting slightly to the left, trying not to put too much weight on her wounded knee. He took a deep breath and walked towards her. She flinched a bit as he grabbed her shoulder and turned her around. "I can't let you leave." He said, looking at her straight in the eye. "I understand that Bison has to be stopped, but there's no way you could defeat him in the state you're in."

A little flash of indignation showed across her face. "I... I know what I'm doing." She huffed, pushing his hand away and trying to put on a menacing face that ended up looking like a little pout instead. He looked to the side and sighed at her stubbornness. She bit her lip and looked down, rubbing her arm nervously.

She turned and walked towards the door, thinking desperately about where Bison could have gone. "Give me a week." he said, stopping her dead in her tracks. Her heart gave a thump as she turned slowly. He was looking at the floor, trying to hide his face from her as much as he could.

"Give me a week to prepare you." he said, looking up at her. She drew in a breath at the sight of his desperate expression. She'd never seen him like this. He was usually so distant and emotionless. She looked down and gulped, closing her eyes tight. "I... I can't. I have to do this by myself. I can't involve anybod-"

"You will **die**." He said flatly, flinching a bit internally as he did, the image of her pale, bloodied face haunting him. "And then nobody will be able to stop him." He crossed his arms over his chest and collected himself, giving her a stern glare.

She made a tight fist and shrunk under his stare. She shook her head and chewed on her bottom lip, storming past him. "Fine." She snarled, bumping her shoulder into his and going back to his room.

Try as he might to surpress it, he had to smirk.

"Well then... let's begin."

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_-faceplant- FINALLY. Thank you so much for being so wonderfully patient. I've been swamped with work lately. But the fic must go on! This chapter is named after the Temperance card. It represents balance and a harmonious union of opposites. It suggests finding the middle way, and may come up to signify agreements, understanding and compromises._

_Thank you again for being wonderful, readers! Until next time!_

_-Atrium_


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